فصلنامه اعتیاد پژوهی
پیاپی 35 (پاییز 1394)

This study aimed to examine the relationship of personality traits and negative life events with coping styles with the mediating role of negative affects in drug dependent people. This was a correlational study wherein the number of 152 participants (drug users) completed Cloninger temperament and character inventory, Paykel life events inventory, positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS), and Endler & Parker’s coping inventory for stressful situations. Novelty seeking had an indirect effect on emotional coping styles. Although anger had a mediating role in this relationship, it did not play such a role in the relationship of low self-directedness and negative life events with emotional coping styles. Harm avoidance had a direct effect on avoidant coping styles. Fear and sadness played a mediating role in the structural relationship of harm avoidance and negative events with avoidant coping styles. Reward dependence had an indirect effect on avoidant coping styles. Sadness had a mediating role in the structural relationship between reward dependence and avoidant coping styles. People with traumatic personality traits show negative affects by experiencing stressful negative events which leads to traumatic coping style, including addiction.

Given that drug addiction is not merely related to a specific individual or group, and few studies have investigated the role of anger in the development of drug addiction, this study was done to investigate the role of the components of anger in predicting addiction potential. A descriptive-correlation research design was used for the conduct of this study. The number of 309 medical students in Kermanshah city was selected using stratified cluster sampling and completed Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS) and Zargar’s addiction potential questionnaire. The results showed that ate anger, trait anger, anger expression-out (AXO), anger expression-in (AXI), the overall index for the expression of anger were significantly associated with addiction potential. Similarly, anger control-out (ACO), anger control-in (ACI) were correlated with addiction potential. In addition, the regression analysis results indicated that the components of state anger and anger expression-in (AXI) together can predict 35% of changes related to addiction potential. State anger and anger expression-in (AXI) as subjective components of anger have a significant role in predicting addiction potential among medical students. Anger management programs for medical students, as the most important segment of the society in the field of public health, are recommended to assign more credit to these two components.

The present study was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of therapeutic community in executive functions and autobiographical memory in people with addiction to stimulants. This study was conducted based on a quasi-experimental research design along with pretest and posttest. From among the male stimulant users who had referred to Vardij medical center of Tehran therapeutic community, the number of 27 participants was selected via purposive sampling after the consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria. From admission to end treatment stage of people in this center (4-month treatment), Wisconsin test, Stroop test, tower of London test, digit span, and autobiographical memory questionnaire were used for data collection. The results of the study showed that therapeutic community significantly improved scores Wisconsin, Stroop, tower of London and digit span tests, as well as scores of specific autobiographical memories. Based on the effects of etiology, treatment and prevention of executive functions and autobiographical memory on addiction, it is recommended to use therapeutic community in treatment interventions and addiction relapse.

The aim of this study was to investigate the defensive mechanisms and styles in substance users and abusers’ families. A descriptive research design was used for the purpose of the study. The sample consisted of 280 participants (70 persons in each group) from substance abusers’ families, alcohol users’ families, sedative users’ families, and cigarette smokers’ families who were selected by convenience sampling. For this purpose, Andrew's Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) was used to measure defensive mechanisms. The highest average and percentage of immature mechanisms was found in drug users and alcohol users’ families while the lowest percentage was found in sedative users’ families. From among the immature mechanisms, denial was most frequently used by alcohol users’ families while transition was least frequently used by substance abusers’ families. Defense mechanisms change one’s understanding of self; therefore, immature defense mechanisms deter understanding reality, deprive one of the possibility of rational and effective defense, and reduce one’s insight capacity and self-discovery.

The current study was aimed to examine the effectiveness of stress management with behavioral–cognitive mode in the promotion of hope and socio-affective adjustment of drug abusers under methadone maintenance treatment. A quasi – experimental research design, along with pretest-posttest and control group was employed for the conduct of this study. In this regard, the number of 20 drug abusers under methadone maintenance treatment was selected by convenience sampling method and these participants were assigned into experimental group (10 individuals) and control group (10 individuals). The participants received ten training sessions and, then, completed Snyder's Trait Hope Scale and Bell’s social adjustment scale (BAS). The results of the study showed that there is a significant difference between the two groups in terms of hope and affective and social adjustment. In fact, the experimental group experienced a considerable promotion. It can be concluded that stress management with behavioral–cognitive training can be an effective interventionist method for the addicts under methadone maintenance treatment.

This study was an attempt to investigate the role of early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles in changeability of opium addicts. The research method was descriptive-correlation and the number of 162 male opium addicts was selected via convenience sampling. For data collection purposes, Yang's early maladaptive schemas and Collins and Read’s adult attachment scale, and Rhode Island’s changeability scale were used. The results showed that 38.1% of the changeability variance is predicted by secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and early maladaptive schemas. In the same way, avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles were positively associated with early maladaptive schemas. Due to the effect of early maladaptive schemas and insecure attachment styles on the incidence of maladaptive behavior, changeability of opium addicts can be expected to increase through the modification dysfunctional thoughts and systemic relations.

The current study was conducted to investigate the pattern of structural relations between deviant personality traits, risk perception and treatment motivation in people with substance dependency. A descriptive- correlational method was used in this study. All the drug addicts referring to Ardabil centers of addiction treatment in second half of 2014 constituted the statistical population of this study. The number of 140 individuals from this population was selected via cluster sampling and responded to stages of change readiness and treatment eagerness scale, personality deviance scale, and cognitive appraisal of risky events (CARE) questionnaire. The results showed that risk perception and three components of treatment motivation are negatively correlated with hostile thoughts, denigration of others, low self-confidence, dependency, submissiveness; however, risk perception was positively associated with the three components of treatment motivation. The results of regression analyses also revealed that 53% variance of recognition, 44 % variance of ambivalence, and 47 % of variance of step taking were explained by deviant personality traits. Model fitness indexed confirmed the path of deviant personality traits to treatment motivation via the mediating role of risk perception. The findings of this study suggest that low risk perception is one of the explanatory pathways for the relationship between deviant personality traits and treatment motivation.

This study aimed at comparing addict's quality of life and psychological disorders based on two methods, i.e. an educational method (Narcotics Anonymous) and a medical method (Methadone Maintenance Treatment). An ex post facto research design was used in this study. Using purposive sampling, the number of 217 male addict (110 NA, 107 MMT) was selected from Shahrekord City. Quality of Life Questionnaire and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42) were utilized to collect data. According to the results of multivariate analysis of covariance, in terms of life quality, status of NA group members was more desirable as compared with the MMT group. Considering the three psychological disorders, NA group members were in a better condition than the methadone treatment group. An increase in the membership duration in NA was associated with lower level of depression and physical pain and higher level of general health and positive emotions. Therapeutic community approach was revealed to be more adequate in improving the quality of life and reducing psychological disorders, and may be considered as a desired method of treatment.

This study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy based on quality of life in improving opiate addicts’ quality of life. A quasi experimental research design long with control group and pre-test, post-test and follow-up was employed for the conduct of this study. All the opiate addicts referring to treatment centers of Ardebil city in 2013 constituted the statistical population of the study and the number of 36 participants was selected as the sample via purposive sampling and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Quality-of-life-based psychotherapy was conducted on the experimental group in 8 sessions while the control group received no intervention. Quality of life questionnaire was used for data collection purposes. The results suggested the effectiveness of the intervention in quality of life. This intervention, which is formed from the combination positive psychology and cognitive-behavioral approach, can be used as an effective treatment method.

This study was an attempt to investigate the effect of music therapy on addicts’ state-trait anxiety rate in the stage of drug-free rehabilitation. A quasi-experimental research design, along with pretest-posttest and control group was employed for the conduct of this study. The statistical population of the study included the addicts in the rehabilitation stage who had referred to the clean collaborators rehabilitation camp in Ardebil province in November 2014. From this population, the number of 32 addicts in 16-50-year-old age range was selected as the participants of the study by convenience sampling method. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used for data collection. The results of multivariate covariant analysis showed that there is a significant difference between control and experimental groups in state and trait anxiety. In other words, the state and trait anxiety of addicts in the experimental group had been reduced after music therapy. Considering the obtained results, it can be concluded that music therapy alone or along other psychological interventions can be an effective method for reducing addicts’ anxiety in drug-free rehabilitation stage.